For Holiday Hill Elementary School in Jacksonville, Florida, April 19th was a special occasion. Cornhole boards and basketballs were scattered across the school’s playground as students, parents and teachers gathered for ‘Tech Night’.
The event, hosted by AT&T, National PTA, and the Holiday Hill Elementary PTA, gave families a chance to get familiar with tools and resources on how to use the internet safely and responsibly. And for parents in particular, the workshop provided insights into how to drive and navigate invaluable conversations with their kids about developing good digital habits and online safety.
During the event, students and parents heard from experts and participated in discussions and interactive learning demonstrations. These demonstrations included identifying and reflecting on the various aspects of screen readiness – covering tools that help determine screen readiness and foster digital safety, as well as gaining tips to help create a healthy digital home.
Students also got a chance to engage in various activities related to digital learning and safety, taking part in coding lessons, learning how a computer switchboard works, and even constructing robots! These hands-on activities allowed students to gain a greater understanding of how tech works in their everyday lives.
Another exciting portion of the event was the door prizes giveaway, which included several boxes of swag for several lucky students. The random drawing took place at the end of the night, sending several families home on an extra high note.
This workshop night is part of a wider “Ready, Tech, Go!” program, which is a collaborative effort between National PTA and AT&T. The program helps families, parents, and caregivers manage and navigate the challenges of raising children in a digital world. Students often are given hands-on experiences to complement the presentations their parents and caregivers receive, mixing fun and important topics to help encourage conversations between students and caregivers.
- In conjunction with AT&T, National PTA has more than 200 local PTAs who are hosting workshops for students and families.
Working across the Sunshine State
In Florida, we’ve worked hard alongside committed partners to reach more students, parents and households with the resources to excel in today’s digital world. In addition to our “Ready, Tech, Go!” program efforts, we have opened 40 Connected Learning Centers across the country – 3 of which are located here in the Sunshine state.
These Centers, located in Miami, Orlando and West Palm Beach, offer neighborhood students and families a free space to access digital resources like AT&T Fiber®, Dell computers, and education and mentoring resources.
These efforts, part of our $5 billion nationwide commitment since 2021 to help bridge the digital divide, are bringing important digital resources to more Floridians.
The Bottom Line
As students leave school for summer break, it’s vital that they continue to be engaged in learning and growth. With the Ready, Tech, Go! program under their belts, we know these Holiday Hill Elementary students will be well-positioned to safely connect and continue their learning throughout the long break.
